Over 50 journalists from print, electronic and vernacular web-portals staged a protest at Ranchi’s Albert Ekka chowk on Friday wearing black badges and holding banners against the growing instances of attack on them and their family members in the state.

They have appealed to chief minister Hemant Soren for their freedom and safety. They also demanded DGP MV Rao to step up policing to curb the incidents of crime. The demonstration was jointly held by Ranchi Press Club and Ranchi chapter of Jharkhand Union of Journalists to protest against the gruesome murder of a 28-year-old Sanket Mishra, son of a Khunti-based vernacular journalist Anil Mishra. On Thursday evening, Sanket’s charred body was recovered from a secluded place under Karra police station. His throat had been slit.

Rajat Gupta, an editor of a vernacular daily in Ranchi and president of National Union of Journalists, said journalists or their family are continuously facing attack since the last couple of years.

“It’s time, the state government should work towards bringing a law for the safety of journalists and their family, who are often facing threat,” he said, demanding compensation for the Khunti victim’s family and a government job.

On the other hand, Khunti police are yet to crack the murder case. Police sources said the deceased had left for Khunti from his in-laws’ place in Ranchi on Tuesday on a bike. He was later found murdered.

Hundreds of members of the JUJ Pradesh Committee and the Ranchi Press Club, along with the metropolitan unit of Jharkhand Union of Journalists have participated in the protest.